Name: Roast chicken, bread salad, braised lettuce and peas
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 30 gm sea salt; 2 allspice berries; 2 fresh bay leaves; 1 clove garlic; 1 piece lemon rind, removed with a peeler; 1 star anise; ¼ tsp coriander seeds; 1 pinch ground nutmeg; 4 small chicken marylands, thigh-bones removed (see note); 20 gm butter; 4 small chicken breasts on bone (see note); Bread salad; 300 gm day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed and torn into 1.5cm pieces; 200 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 4 golden shallots, thinly sliced; 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 20 gm finely chopped jamon or prosciutto (1 tbsp); 2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted; 2 tbsp currants, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water; ½ tsp porcini powder (see note); 100 ml hot chicken stock; Braised peas and lettuce; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 golden shallots, finely chopped; 2 tbsp finely chopped kaiserfleisch or bacon; 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; 2 tbsp butter; 250 ml chicken stock (1 cup); 1 baby cos lettuce, cut lengthways into eighths

”My friends and I were impressed by Andrew McConnell’s food at Three, One, Two in Carlton – especially the delicious roast chicken with braised lettuce and peas. I’d love to try the recipe at home.”

Kara Boughton, Kingston, ACT

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You’ll need to begin this the day before.

Ingredients

30 gm sea salt

2 allspice berries

2 fresh bay leaves

1 clove garlic

1 piece lemon rind, removed with a peeler

1 star anise

¼ tsp coriander seeds

1 pinch ground nutmeg

4 small chicken marylands, thigh-bones removed (see note)

20 gm butter

4 small chicken breasts on bone (see note)

Bread salad

300 gm day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed and torn into 1.5cm pieces

200 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

4 golden shallots, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

20 gm finely chopped jamon or prosciutto (1 tbsp)

2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted

2 tbsp currants, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water

½ tsp porcini powder (see note)

100 ml hot chicken stock

Braised peas and lettuce

1 tbsp olive oil

4 golden shallots, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped kaiserfleisch or bacon

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp butter

250 ml chicken stock (1 cup)

1 baby cos lettuce, cut lengthways into eighths

250 gm podded peas (600gm unpodded) (1½ cups)

Method

Main

1.Combine all ingredients except chicken and butter in a saucepan with 350ml water over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until salt has dissolved, bring to the boil and cool. Add chicken marylands to brine and refrigerate for 6 hours, then remove marylands from brine, rinse well and pat dry with absorbent paper.

2.Preheat oven to 190C and place a roasting pan in oven for 10 minutes or until hot. Heat a frying pan on high heat, season chicken with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, place chicken marylands and breasts skin-side down in frying pan, add butter and cook chicken for 10 minutes, turning, until brown all over. Place marylands in hot roasting pan and cook for 10 minutes, add breasts and roast or another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, remove bone from chicken breasts.

3.Meanwhile, for bread salad, scatter bread on an oven tray, drizzle with 50ml olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Drizzle with another 50ml olive oil and vinegar. Meanwhile, heat 100ml of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add shallots, garlic and jamon and cook for 5 minutes or until onions are soft, add bread, pine nuts, currants and porcini powder and cook for 2 minutes, add stock, stir to combine and season to taste. Keep warm.

4.For braised lettuce and peas, heat olive oil in a frying pan over low heat, add shallots and bacon, cook for 20 minutes or until onions are soft, add garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add butter and cook for 1 minute or until starting to foam, add stock and cook for 5 minutes or until reduced by one third. Add lettuce and cook until wilted, then add peas and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Season to taste.

5.To serve, divide bread salad and braised lettuce and peas between plates, top each with a maryland and a breast and serve immediately.

Note Ask your butcher to prepare the chicken marylands. If breasts on bone are unavailable, use breast fillets, skin on. Porcini powder is available from The Essential Ingredient and select specialty food stores.
Notes

Recipe by Andrew McConnell Chef and restaurateur

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Styling by Michele Finato